Ice tray grid



E. W. HAUGH ICE TRAY GRID Filed Feb. 2o, A1959 bec. 9, 1941.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 ICE TRAY Gam Earl W. Haugh, Manitowoc. Wis., assignor to Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company,

Manitowoc, Wis. l

Application February 20, 1939, Serial No. 257,320

2 Claims.

This inventionpertans to icecube grids for trays employed in household refrigerators, and has primarily for its object the provision of a grid capable of quickly releasing the frozen cubes from both the grid and tray upon the manipulation of a lever.

a conventional refrigerator tray employed in the making of ice cubes in mechanical household re- Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a grid, in which the transverse fins or partitions are both pivotally and slidably connected to a longitudinal partition, for actuation by means of a manually operable lever.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a grid having its transverse fins pivotally and slidably connected to a longitudinal partition adjacent their lower edges, and pivotallyl connected to a longitudinal reciprocative bar adjacent their upper edges.

A still further object is the provision of .a manually operable lever for actuating the reciprocative bar together with means for camming the bar upwardly upon its actuation to raise the transverse partitions simultaneously with their pivotal movement.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel method, construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be madeas come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention yconstructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a metal tray equipped with a grid constructed in accordance with one form of the present invention, parts being broken away and in section to more clearly show details of construction.

frigerators. I The tray is equipped with a grid 2, comprising a longitudinal partition 3, having transverse fins 4 connected thereto, adjacent its lower edge, by rivets 5, passing through slots 6 formedJ in the longitudinal partition 3, to allow,

both pivotal and slidable movement of the ns relative to the longitudinal partition 3.

Superimposed upon the top o f the partition 3 is a reciprocative bar l, to which the flanges of the transverse fins 4 are pivotally connected, and, as best shown in Figure 2, the bar l is provided with spaced inclined\surfaces il upon its lower edge, cooperating with corresponding surfaces 8,'

formed in the'top edge of the partition 3 to cam or force the reciprocative bar upwardly upon longitudinal shifting of the same.

For the purpose of reciprocating the bar l, a lever I0 is provided, having spaced ears I I formed on one of its ends for straddling botli the reciprocative bar 1 and the longitudinal partition 3, the lever being pivotally secured upon the partition, as best shown in Figure 2. In addition to its pivotal connection with the partition 3, the

lever I0 is both pivotally and slidably connectedA tov the reciproca-tive bar 'l by a pin I2, passing through slots I3, formedl in the ears II of the lever.

From the foregoing explanation, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the structure comprising the present invention, will be apparent, and its operation will now be de scribed.

Normally, the reciprocative bar upon the top of the longitudinal partition 3, with the lever IU swung downwardly to straddle the bar and engage the transverse fins 4, as best shown in Figure 2, which causes the transverse fins to assume a slight angular position relative to a vertical line. The tray is then filled with water to any desired level.

After the cubes have been frozen, and it is desired .to remove the same, the lever III is swung upwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, causing the bar 'I to be shifted forwardly, and at the same time to be raisedupon the cooperyatingvinclined or cam surfaces 8 and 9, formed on the longitudinal partition 3. and the bar l, respectively. Obviously, raising of the bar l, during its reciprocative movement, causes the transverse fins 4 to be raised, and at the same time assume a substantially vertical position, as compared to their normal inclined position. This action of the iins causes them to tilt the cubes Q,

1 is seated CII the leverage provided in the manually operable handle I0, very little force or effort is required upon the part of the operator, whichis a distinct advantage over various types of conventional grids in which they cubes are released by means of a lever. i

Attention is also directed tothe advantage of the inclined or cam surfaces for raising the reciprocative bar 1, and, consequently, the transverse ns 4. Upon actuation of -the bar through l the lever I0, the inclined surfaces being slight require little or no effort upon the part of the operator in raising the bar, and due to the fact that the inclined surfaces are provided at spaced intervals throughout the length of the bar 1, strain upon the bar with resultant bending is reduced to a minimum.

I claim: Y

1. An ice cube grid comprising, a main longitudinal partition, a plurality of spaced transverse tins projecting laterally from the opposite sides of the longitudinal partition, means piv-r otally and slidably connecting the fins adjacent their lower ends to the longitudinal partition adjacent its lower edge, whereby said nscan rock on said longitudinal partition. and move upwardly thereon, a reciprocative bar pivotally connected to said ns adjacent their upper edges, manually operable meansconnected to said longitudinal partition andv said reciprocative bar for imparting movement to the bar, and cooperating cam surfaces disposed between said bar and said longitudinal partition to raise said bar upon reciprocation of the same.

2. Anfice cube grid comprising, a main longitudinal partition, a plurality of spaced transverse fins projecting llaterally from the opposite sides of the longitudinal partition, means-pivotally and slidably connecting the fins `adjacent their lower ends to the longitudinal partition adjacent its lower edge, whereby said fins can vrock on said longitudinal partition and move upwardly thereon, a reciprocative bar pivotally connected to said transverse flns adjacent their upper edges, said longitudinal partition and said reciprocative bar being provided with cooperating cam surfaces to relatively space the two upon reciprocation of said bar, and alever pivotally connected to said longitudinal Apartition and both pivotally and slidably connected to said barfor reciprocating the bar.

W. HAUGH. v 

